Shoe heater



April 1930- M. 0. JENNINGS 1,753,705

SHOE HEATER I Original Filed Nbv. 12, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 II I T"? 2 Whiz/2'22 0.

April 1930- M. 0. JENNINGS 1,753,705

SHOE HEATER Original Filed Nov. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 8, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,"

MELVIN OSCAR JENNINGS, or LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIeNoR TO HARRY H. IBECKWITE, or aaooxrmn, MASSACHUSETTS SHOE HEATER Original application filed November 12, 1923, Serial No. 674,314. Divided and this application filed July This invention relates to shoe heaters such as are commonly employed for stiffening box toes comprising thermoplastic material, so that they may be made to conform to the lasts when the'shoes are beingmade. The thermoplastic material of which the stiffeners are made must have a sufficiently high melting pointto maintain its stifin'ess under all conditions to which a shoe is normally exposed. It is therefore necessary to Subject the partially formed shoe, in order to soften the box "toe sufiiciently to form it about the last, to a temperature which is excessive for the leather. For this reason it has been proposed to direct moist vapor into'contact with the leather while the stiffener is being heated in order that the leather may not be damaged.

One object of the present invention is to provide means whereby dry heat may be supplied to the stiffener and moist vapor to the leather, the proportions of dry to moist heat being readily adjustable.

A further object is to providela vaporizer and means for conducting the vapor therefrom, while unconfined, directly to theshoe upper, there being no. portions not readily accessible for cleaning or any in which foreign matter may tend to collect. There is therefore no danger of the vapor passage clogging or of corrosionof the parts from deposits offoreign matter. The various parts are held in assembled relation by gravity and as they are not fastened they may be readily disassembled when desired.

In the use of shoe heaters as normally con- Structed trouble has been experienced, particularly when the finer or more easily damaged leathers are used, from the staining of the vamp back of the box from the heated vapor which contacts therewithafter having been acted upon by the dry heat.

Another object ofthisinvention, therefore, is to provide means acting to prevent the passing of the vapor or dry heated air into contact with thisportion of-the shoe.

Further objects and advantageous details and combinationsof parts will appear from a more complete description of. all-embodi- Serial No. 292,732.

ment of this invention shown in theaccompanyin g drawings in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the heater. Figure 2 is a detail section on line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing a shoe inposition.

Figure 3 is a detail section on line 33. of Figure 1.

Figures 4 and cover member and spectively.

Figure 6 is a perspective of the base member showing the heating units in position;

The heater comprises a base member 1 Shown detached in Figure 6, which is adapted to be supported from a bench or table by anysuitable means such as Standards 2 shown inFigure 1. This base comprises an open 5 are perspectives of the the front wall member, re-

topped receptacle 3 along one side, one side wall 4 being laterally extended to form a shelf portion 5. Below this shelf portion and substantially parallel to the outer end thereof is a lower wall 6, this lower wall and shelf defining therebetween adry heat chamber 7. End walls 8 bridge overthe ends of the re ceptacle 3, the shelf 5 and. the lower wall 6 and at their forward ends each is provided with a pair of inwardly directed spaced ribs 9 for a purpose which will later be described.

"The receptacle3 is' provided witha cover 10, shown detached in Figure'4,which has a downturned bead 11 along its rear edge which may rest on the upper edge of the rear wall 12 of thereceptacle 3. Ends 13 of the cover are arranged to fit within the end" walls 8 of the base'member, the ends 13 having downwardly extending portions 14 extending into the receptacle 3 to retain the cover-member in proper relation to the receptacle. This cover member has its top wall forwardly and upwardly inclined as at 15 to form with the shelf 5 a vapor passage leading from the receptacle 3 forwardly. As shownthis cover member is divided bytransverse partitions so I 16 to provide-a Series of vapor passages,

the cutouts 17 in the main shelf portion;

The plate 18 extends forwardly substantially in vertical alinement with the forward edge of the cover member 10. Various plates 18 having cutouts of various sizes for use with different sizes of shoes may beused inter-v changeably. The vapor passages and the dry hot chamber 7 are closed off by a front plate 20,.shown detached in Figure 5. This plate is formed to pass between the ribs 9 of the base member (see Figure 3) so as to be maintained in vertical position thereby and near its upper edge it is provided with a rearwardly extending bead 21 beneath which the forward edge of the top wall 15 of the cover member extends. The cover member and the forward wall are thus held-in'assembled relation to the base memberby gravity and may thus be readily disassembled when desired. i i

This forward wall 20 has extended therefrom in an outwardly' and upwardly inclined direction a wall 22, there being end and intermediate walls or partitions 23 and 24 extending between the walls 20 and 22. Be-

wall 20 is apertured as at 25 and the wall 22 I is similarly apertured as at 26. When in in Figure assembled relation the partitions 24 come substantially in line with partition 16 of the cover member, the apertures 25 and 26 being opposite the various vapor passages and furnishing openings through which the ends of the shoes to be treated may be inserted into the vapor passages and above the cutouts 17 of the dry heat chamber'7, as shown at 27 For supporting the shoes in this position any suitable means may be employed. As shown this means comprises a horizontal rod or pipe 30supported adjacent its ends by vertical rods or pipes 31 longitudinally adjustable through fittings 32 in which they may be fixed by set screws 33, these fittings being carried at the outer" ends of rods or pipes 34 which extend through perforated lugs 35 in thebase member l an'dlie in grooves 36 in the lower face thereof back of the lugs. These rods 34 are freely adjustable lengthwise relative to the base Within the chamber 7 is positioned a heating unit 40 of any suitable description.- Herein shown this comprises an electrical heating unit in the form of a loop which is supported by blocks 41, each carried attheupper end of a stud 42 fixedto the lower wall 6 of the chamber. Nuts 43 are threaded on these studs and the blocks 41 rest thereon, the upper ends of the studs passing into suitable perforations in the blocks. By manipulation of these nuts 43, therefore, the unit 40 may be adjusted vertically toward and from the plate 18. By this means the amount of dry heat to be conducted to the shoe may be adjusted. The lower wall 6 is also provided with perforations 45 through which air may enter the chamber 7 from below to be heated and then pass through the openings 19 into contact with the innersole of the shoe, to be deflected thereby laterally into contact with the edges of the stiffener which extend below the lower face of the innersole. It is these edges which it is necessary to soften preparatory to the lasting operation after the pulling over of the shoe has been effected.

Within the receptacle 3 is a second electrical heating unit which is designed to be immersed in water'supplied to the receptacle as will later appear. The vapor from the heated water passes freely above the partition 5 and beneath the cover where it contacts with the upper and outer face of the shoe to cold air passing through the corresponding aperture 26 acts to conduct the vapor upwardly between the walls 20 and'22, the space between these walls acting as a'chimney creating a draft laterally of the aperture 25 and preventing the hot vapors from passing back along the shoe to contact with the vamp back of the toe cap and causing discoloration. It has been found desirable in practice to extend the walls 20'and 22, the end walls-23, and also, if desired, the intermediate walls 24, somewhat above the upper forward edge of the cover member 10 to increase the draft for conveying off the vapors. This extension may be formed, if desired, integral with these walls as shown. j r

The receptacle 3 is of comparatively small capacity so that little water is heated at one 7 time and the vapor is produced quickly when desired. For this reason it is necessary to provide a water supply since the water 111 the receptacle 3 would soon be driven off causing danger of overheating of the unit as well as of failure of moisture to protect the. leather portions of. the shoe. For this purposethe base member '1 has extending rearwardly therefrom a-trough communicating with the receptacle 3 through an opening56. This trough is designed to receive water from a.

, may befilled, the tank being invertedwhen in use so that the nozzle portion projects into the trough 5 5 to approximately the desired level ofthe water in the receptacle 3; This tank Shoe heater, of which this application is a division.

Since electric heater units are used in the device as illustrated, in order to conform to the underwriters rules, it is necessary to insulate the device from the ground. As shown this may be accomplished by the use of blocks of insulating material, such as porcelain,

and herein, shown as cylindrical, each being seated in a socket 91 in the upper face of a frame member 92 carried at the upper ends of the standards 2, the base member 1 having socketed bosses 93, each constructed to engage over the upper end of one of these blocks. In order also that the device may be adjusted to a horizontal position when the supporting bench or table is not level, the upper ends of the standards 2 may slidingly fit in sockets 94 extending upwardly into the frame member 92 and be fixed in adjusted position therein by means of set screws 95.

Each standard 2 may also have thereon a vertically slidable collar 96 adjustably fixed by a set screw 97 immediately beneath the frame member 92 as a further means of holding this frame member in adjusted position.

The receptacle 3 may be drained of water. when desired. for this purpose a drainage opening 98 being shown on Figure 1 which may be closed by a threaded plug or to which a suitable valved connection may be attached.

Having thus described an embodiment ofthis invention it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made therein without departing from its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A shoe heater having a base comprising an open topped receptacle, one sideof said receptacle being laterally extended out-. wardly to form a shelf, a removable cover for said receptacle constructed to rest on the upper edge of the opposite sides of'said receptacle and extending in spaced relation over said shelf to define a vapor passage from said receptacle into which the end of a shoe niilayf beplaced, and a heater beneath said s el 2. A shoe heater having a base comprising said end walls and engaging the forward edge of said'cover, said front plate having an. opening to receive the end of a shoe ex tending into said vapor passage and closing the forward portion of a chamber beneath said shelf.

3. A shoe heater having a base comprising an open topped receptacle, one side of said receptacle being laterally extended'to form a shelf, and a lower wall extending from said receptacle in substantially parallel spaced relation to said shelf, a cover for said receptacle constructed to rest on the upper edge of the t v receptacle and extending in spaced relation over said shelf to define a vapor passage from said receptacle, end walls for said receptacle bridging the ends of said lower wall, shelf and cover, a front wall also bridging said lower wall, shelf and cover, and having an opening through which the end of a shoe may be inserted between said shelf and cover, a heating element in said receptacle, and a heating element in the space between said shelf and lower wall, one of said walls having an air port through which air may pass to said last mentioned heating element, and saidshelf having an opening through which the heated air may pass into contact with a shoe passed through said front wall opening.

4, In a shoe heater an open topped receptacle, a vapor passage having a dry heat chamber therebeneath, a cover for said receptacle and passage held assembled therewith solely by gravity, and an apertured front wall for said passage through the aper- MELVIN OSCAR JENNINGS.

an open topped receptacle, one side of said receptacle being laterally extended outward-.

ly to form a shelf, a cover for said receptacle constructed to rest on the upper edge of the opposite sides of said receptacle and extend-v ing in spaced relation over said shelf to define a vapor passage from said receptacle, end walls closing the space between said cover and shelf, and a front plate interfitting with 

